Yaz Settlement Sought by North Dakota Plaintiff

Donna L. Praus has become one of the latest plaintiffs to become involved in Yaz litigation after filing a Yaz lawsuit related to side effects she allegedly experienced at the hands of the medication. Praus and her Yaz lawyer are hoping to win a Yaz settlement from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the company responsible for the manufacture and distribution of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, both of which have been linked to severe side effects and are involved in Yaz litigation. 

Yaz settlement could help cover costs

Plaintiffs who are looking for a Yaz settlement are hoping for a monetary settlement that will help compensate for the side effects they have suffered. Praus' complaint is asking for settlements that will help cover medical expenses, loss of income, costs for rehabilitation and home health care, pain and suffering, and permanent disability. According to the suit filed by her Yaz lawyer, she began taking Yaz and Yasmin in 2002 and in 2004 experienced an alleged Yaz deep vein thrombosis, leaving her with serious and permanent injuries.

Plaintiff's Case Joins Yaz Class Action Lawsuit

A plaintiff has agreed to allow her Yaz and Yasmin lawsuit be consolidated in the coordinated proceedings taking place in relation to the birth control drugs. The coordinated proceedings are taking place in Los Angeles County, California, and are similar to class action litigation in a number of ways but are distinct in others. Grace Santamaria filed a Yaz lawsuit, represented by a Yaz lawyer, that will now be connected to this litigation. 

Yaz Consolidated Litigation Similar to Class Action

Santamaria's lawsuit will be combined with similar lawsuits, as it would be if it were involved in a Yaz class action lawsuit, but it also retains its individuality and it will be considered separately from other lawsuits of its type based on her individual experiences and side effects that she endured. In a class action lawsuit, any damages awarded to plaintiffs involved in this type of litigation are divided among them, while in a consolidated lawsuit pretrial processes such as witness testimony and discovery are shared but the cases are still considered individually. The cases are also remanded, or returned to the courts in which they were filed, before litigation will take place unless a settlement is reached outside of court. 

Yaz Lawsuit to Include Gallbladder Disease

Many women have suffered from life changing problems from Yaz gallbladder side effects but did not know that their birth control pill may have caused gallstones and other complications. Talia K. Weiss’ Yaz lawsuit has alleged that developed gallbladder disease as a result of taking the birth control pill. Her Yaz lawsuit, filed in Seminole County in October 12, 2011, was recently transferred to the District Court for the Middle District of Florida on January 17, 2012. Weiss’ Yaz lawyers have alleged that the drugmaker, Bayer Corporation, did not label the product with a strong enough warning of its side effects. Weiss continued to take the medication until 2010 when she became aware of the severe injuries associated with her gallbladder disease.

Gallbladder disease is a dangerous Yasmin side effect reported by women using this fourth-generation birth control. Women are twice as likely as men to develop gallstones. The hormones in birth control pills may increase cholesterol levels in bile and decrease gallbladder movement, which can create gallstones which can cause serious problems if they become trapped in the bile ducts. Gallstone symptoms can be similar to many other conditions including ulcers, heart attack and irritable bowel syndrome. Not all gallstones show up on regular X-rays. Ultrasound can most often show whether gallstones are present. A HIDA scan, which uses an injection of radioactive dye, shows whether the gallbladder is blocked and inflamed and therefore the cause of pain. It can also show if the gall bladder is working properly.

Yaz and gallbladder problems are affecting women who had previously not had any problems with gallstones. Some women who suffered from frequent gallstones or inflammation recurs have had to undergo gallbladder removal surgery. Following surgery, women who were diagnosed with gallbladder disease are forced to deal with gallbladder removal side effects which include dietary changes and avoiding certain fats in foods. Weiss’ Yaz lawsuit seeks damages to compensate for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and a shortened life span. Her Lawsuit alleges that if the Yaz side effects had been made clear, she never would have taken the drug.

Yaz Bellwether Trials Postponed

Judge David Herndon has postponed Yaz bellwether trials, set to take place earlier this month, in favor of a mediation process that will hopefully allow plaintiffs and defendants to come to a settlement agreement outside of court. The mediation will begin "without delay" and overseeing the discussion will be Professor Stephen Saltzburg of George Washington School of Law. 

Protective order granted in Yaz lawsuit

Plaintiff Kerry Sims was going to be the first Yaz plaintiff to see her case in court. The first bellwether trial was set to be Sims v. Bayer et al. Sims, not unlike many other Yaz plaintiffs, has linked her acute left-sided pulmonary embolism, which was diagnosed on the 18th of July 2008, to her Yaz use. Yaz pulmonary embolism is a condition in which a blood clot becomes lodged in one of the lungs' major arteries. It is a condition that may result from Yaz deep vein thrombosis. 

Yaz Bellwether Trials on Hold for Mediation

The preliminary bellwether trials for Yaz side effects were scheduled to begin on January 9, 2012, but they have been put on hold as thousands of Yaz side effects lawsuits have been ordered into mediation by Chief Judge David R. Herndon, who is presiding over the Yaz multidistrict litigation case. The order came down on the 31st of December, 2011, and now instead of each lawsuit going to trial they will now pursue settlements through mediation. 

The move was echoed the consolidated Pennsylvania state court side effects lawsuits, as Judge Sandra Mazer Moss ordered the parties into mediation on the 6th of January, 2012. Yaz side effects lawsuits, which deal with such serious conditions as Yaz pulmonary embolism, Yaz blood clot, and Yaz stroke, will be put on hold as the possibility of a global settlement is explored involving thousands of plaintiffs and the defendant, Bayer pharmaceuticals. 

FDA Panel Acknowledges Yaz Problems, Stops Short of Recall

The FDA evaluated the risk of Yaz blood clots from the birth control, which some studies have shown to be 2 to 3 times greater than the risk associated with other birth control pills, leading to an ever-growing number of Yaz Lawsuits. In December of last year they held a nine-hour meeting to evaluate the drug’s warning label, eventually deciding, in a 21-5 vote, that Bayer, the drug’s manufacturer, must revise the labe to more clearly explain that the birth control pill comes with an increased risk of Yaz Blood clots. The safety review was initiated based on two published studies that reported there is a greater risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among women taking Yaz, Yasmin or other drospirenone birth control pills.

Now, the FDA is facing strong calls that it hold a new meeting to evaluate the safety of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, after issues involving a possible conflict of interest have been raised regarding some of its advisory committee members. It has now been discovered that at least four of the committee members had ties to Bayer prior to the committee hearing, but all four say that those ties had no effect on their final vote. Despite the potential increased risk of Yaz and Yasmin blood clots, Bayer has heavily marketed these drugs, particularly to younger women. The drugs currently account for approximately 30% of the birth control pill market, and many women could reduce the risk of blood clots by taking alternatives to Yaz and Yasmin for birth control.

A DVT or deep vein thrombosis is a type of blood clot that usually occurs in the legs or deep veins of the pelvis. While it is possible to have a DVT with minimal symptoms, they usually cause extreme pain and swelling in the affected limb. If the deep vein thrombosis dislodges, it could travel to other parts of the body and cause a pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke. Yasmin and Yaz DVT is considered a medical emergency which requires immediate medical treatment. Thousands of women who have suffered from Yaz pulmonary embolisms have found a Yaz lawyer to help them fight for their legal rights.

Mediation Over Trial in Yaz MDL

The mulditistrict litigation case involving Yaz birth control has been consolidated in the Southern District of Illinois and is being presided over by Judge David R. Herndon. Now, this judge has decided to go forward with mediation as opposed to a trial for the first Yaz case out of the many that are involved in the litigation. Thousands of cases are involved in the multi district litigation, filed by women who have experienced side effects associated with Yaz and Yasmin birth control medication. 

According to some reports, Yaz is the fourth most popular birth control pill in the United States, although it is one of those with the most Yaz side effects. Thousands of plaintiffs have become involved in litigation against Bayer Pharmaceuticals, holding them accountable for Yaz and Yasmin side effects. Yaz blood clots, stroke, heart attack, Yaz deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism have all been cited in Yaz birth control lawsuits.